The Amazing Spider-Man: Dr. Curtis Connors/The Lizard

If you ask me they could have not chosen a better antagonist for this reboot of “Spider-Man”, it is a character that appeared in Sam Raimi’s films but was never developed to the extent where he was a relevant character. Rather than re-do someone like Norman Osborn’s “Green Goblin” right away Mark Webb (Director) chose to rightly go with something new, something audiences had not seen before. I’ll give a little rundown on who this character is and what he is all about.

As the video above tells you Dr. Curtis Connors is a biologist who works for Norman Osborn’s OSCORP. However what the video did not have the time to tell you is before he worked at OSCORP Connors was a battlefield surgeon who operated in numerous theaters of war, it is during one of these conflicts that the field hospital Connors worked on was hit by a stray mortar. This incident eventually cost Connors his arm. Bitter about losing his own limb whilst helping others Connors began looking for a cure for amputees, experimenting with cross-species genetics using Lizard-DNA as his base for work. Connors efforts stagnate until he encounters Peter Parker (Alias: Spider-Man), the son of Richard Parker whom Connors worked with on this very project. Parker decides to help Connors’ cause and with his exceptional intelligence appears to perfect and complete the serum taken from Lizard-DNA that will re-grow lost limbs. Connors decides to use the new formula on himself with disastrous results; It succeeds in re-growing his arm but it also takes over his entire genetic makeup and transforms him into the monstrous “Lizard”. Upon seeing his incredibly strong, agile, and regenerative new form Connors reacts with an odd mix of horror and joy. He feels he has instigated the next step in human evolution and wants to bring this to everyone in the world… no matter how and the cost.

What is interesting about this character is that he really is not an evil person, he is a man with genuine issues and feelings. His motivations are not driven by an urge to terrorize people… he really thinks he is doing the right thing by sharing his discovery with everyone. When he is The Lizard Connors still has his sanity and genius which only makes him all the more dangerous to anyone who crosses him. Spider-Man sees the colossal mistake he has made in creating The Lizard and he sets out to cure him. Connors, having experienced loss of limb before, does not want his new andimproved form taken away from him and makes Spider-Man his mortal enemy… unaware that his enemy is really the one that created him in the first place.

Physically and mentally The Lizard is one of Spider-Man’s most dangerous opponents, and to make things worse Parker has trouble ‘going all-out’ against him because he is wracked with guilt about what has happened to him.

The Amazing Spider-Man lands in cinemas on the 3rd of July, I’m certainly seeing it and will post the review up when I do.